10 great holidays to soothe your frazzled soul

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1. Asia meets Spain

You needn’t fly to Asia to realign your chakras. Just a 40-minute drive from Málaga is Shanti-Som – a wellbeing retreat with a Far East influence. Perched on a hill overlooking the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park, it is a quiet haven offering yoga, Pilates, detox and fitness retreats. But there are options for those who simply want a bit of rest and relaxation. If there’s one thing you must try, it’s the “foot healing” treatment by the gifted Lesley – a real miracle worker.

2. The Italian job

A short drive from bustling Milan is Ti Sana, a monastic sanctuary tucked away in a small village close to the river Adda. The restful retreat, a few miles south of the Italian Lakes, is housed in an 18th-century cottage with stone walls and cobbled walkways. Your “Healthytarian” programme starts with a diagnostic test with nutritionist Mario. “Your health is not good… it’s perfect,” Mario tells me before revealing that “you are all fat, and no muscle”. It’s smooth sailing from here, with delicious vegetarian dishes, walks along the beautiful river, trips to nearby lakes Lecco and Como, pilates and aqua gym classes and heavenly treatments (ask for Vanessa).

From £2,295 full-board for a four-night Healthytarian programme, including classes and treatments. A 10 per cent discount is applied to those sharing a double or twin. Healthy Holiday Company (020 8968 0501; thehealthyholidaycompany.co.uk).

3. Great British break

Nestled in West Sussex, Simply Healing is a detox retreat focused on eliminating toxins from your body. If that all sounds rather clinical, I can assure you it’s not. Coming to Simply Healing is like visiting a favourite aunt at her cosy country home. In this instance, the aunt comes in the form of Vivien Kay, the retreat’s motherly patron who will put you on a programme of juices and broths, colonic hydrotherapy sessions and supplements. Not to fret, there are daily rambles in the woods and evening meditation classes as well as some of the best treatments I’ve ever had (try the REN wrap – a wrap, scrub, massage and facial all rolled into one). Humble as the place is (a sleek medispa it is not), it is still by far my favourite retreat and arguably one of the best in the UK.

From £1,675 full-board for a five-day juice detox, including all treatments. Simply Healing (01403 822117; simplyhealingcentre.com).

Coming to Simply Healing in West Sussex is like visiting a favourite aunt at her cosy country home

4. New Forest escape

Chewton Glen is situated on the edge of the New Forest National Park, surrounded by 130 acres of Hampshire countryside, and is a short walk from the sea. Take in the glorious surroundings before heading to the spa for a massage followed by a dip in the pool. Unlike Simply Healing, above, you won’t be with a group – so this will be a truly solo experience. Escape from it all on a bike ride from the spa through a nature reserve towards the magnificent coast.

From £1,708 for single occupancy for two nights, including all meals, treatments, guided activities and take-home gifts. ITC Luxury Travel (01244 355 527; itcluxurytravel.co.uk).

Take in the glorious surroundings at Chewton Glen before heading to the spa for a massage followed by a dip in the pool

5. Yoga and sun in Greece

Perfect your sun salutation on a yoga retreat at Porto Elounda Golf and Spa Resort, overlooking Mirabello Bay in Crete. After an initial yoga consultation, you’ll be prescribed a personalised plan followed by a series of holistic treatments, including chakra balancing and reiki (a Japanese technique that promotes stress reduction and relaxation). The programme includes guided meditation and pranayama breathing sessions so you’re sure to come home with a Zen disposition, clarity of mind – and an enviable tan.

6. Bavarian retreat

Set on the hills of Bavaria,Lanserhof Tegernseeis a minimalist mountain refuge, with a team of doctors, dietitians, coaches and personal trainers on hand. It might have a medical emphasis, but it’s also a calm oasis, overlooking rolling forests and nearby Lake Tegern, with plenty of bike paths and walking trails to balance out days spent lying horizontal by the pool.

7. Beach body in Ibiza

If you are feeling sluggish and want to kick-start an exercise routine before the Christmas festivities get under way, a fitness holiday in Ibiza would be a good first port of call. The Body Camp, a health retreat on the White Isle’s subdued and quiet north, offers a week-long programme of several fun activities, from beach circuit training and boxing to team sports, including water polo and the Brazilian martial art capoeira. Wind down with guided meditation and various healing sessions in the evening.

Health and Fitness Travel (020 3397 8891; healthandfitnesstravel.com) offers a seven-night stay, from £1,890 (sharing a room with a fellow solo traveller of the same gender) or £3,030 for single occupancy. Price includes full-board, a wellness programme and flights.

8. Thai temptation

If exercise doesn’t appeal, you can forgo bootcamp and opt instead for royal treatment at Chiva Somin Thailand. You’ll be spoilt with first-rate treatments – ranging from massages and reflexology to aromatic coffee body scrubs and anti-aging facials guaranteed to soothe even the most frazzled nerves. Pampering may be the order of the day here but this is also the place to go if you’d like to make some big changes. Surrounded by seven acres of tropical gardens on the beach of Hua Hin, making life-affirming decisions will seem a cinch.

Chiva Som in Thailand is surrounded by seven acres of tropical gardens on the beach of Hua Hin

9. Ayurvedic cure

You’ll no doubt feel like an (enlightened) maharani or marahaja during and after your stay at Ananda Spa. This palatial Indian retreat assembled at the foothills of the Himalayas focuses on Ayurvedic techniques, which blend about 2,000 herbs into a treatment system to cure maladies. Therapies, such as four-hand massage, gargling of medicated oil and therapeutic sweating, are more wonderful than weird – and they work.

The Healthy Holiday Company (020 8968 0501; thehealthyholidaycompany.co.uk) runs a seven-night stay, from £4,340 for single occupancy. Price includes full-board, a choice of programmes and flights.

You’ll no doubt feel like an (enlightened) maharani or marahaja during and after your stay at Ananda Spa

10. Tropical farm

The Farm in the Philippines is a jungle paradise strewn with bamboo trees, waterfalls and landscaped gardens. Don’t be fooled by the hippie leanings, this is a medical spa that takes its credentials seriously – guests’ programmes are overseen and administered by resident doctors. Granted, the 14-hour flight from London to Manila is a bit of a trek, but it is a direct route (with Philippine Airlines) and, indeed, well worth the journey.